The Julie Bender Show

The affirmation "My Past Does Not Define Me" is one I'm begging you to embrace, while fully acknowledging I am needing to heed this advice! When you live life as though you are a victim of your past, you're running from it or doing everything in your power to hide or cover it, you are not truly living. Certainly, you're not embracing my hope for you, #bebold...

Have you ever been affected by toxic positivity?

Do you have past trauma that you cover with "I'm fine", "it made me stronger" or other cliché phrases that aren't actually true of you, because healing hasn't yet been found? My guest Marissa Baker can relate. If you're on TikTok, you may have heard of the Life Coach who was being discredited for being divorced twice by the age of 30. Well, she's h...

What if it's wonderful?

Do you struggle to rejoice with those who rejoice, especially when you're mourning or dealing with loss?
Does it seem hard or scary to celebrate at times? Many of us have felt that—myself included. That's why I wanted to chat with therapist and author Nicole Zasowski about her newest book and how she learned to ask this question which changed the way she interacted within community and in her own...

The affirmation "I am enough, so I don't have to perform" is one I am still practicing believing. And that's okay. Many women struggle to trust that their value isn't derived from their performance but instead, it’s bestowed on them by their creator and doesn’t have to be “earned.” So much of our stress, insecurity, and relational conflict comes from this struggle so I invite you to consider app...

Popular dating coach and podcast host, Kait Warman, is back! She shares her journey from meeting JJ while seeing three other guys, to their incredibly personal engagement. She describes how she challenged herself to date outside of her "type", how they made a long-distance relationship work, and ways they chose to date intentionally, including when they first said "I lo...

This affirmation "my voice matters" is especially important to me, and I hope after listening to this episode, it will be to you, too. Your voice, expressed in your opinions, thoughts, beliefs, and boundaries carries significance and weight, even if you’ve been led to believe otherwise. I’ll share what might prevent you from speaking up, and why you should start boldly using this ...

I have been watching The Bachelor (and all related franchise shows) since college. And I can honestly say, Clayton's season was the most. dramatic. ending. ever. But what's noteworthy is how he treated the final three women on the season. Red flags everywhere! To discuss the dumpster fire that was this finale, I invited D and Miranda, both previous ...

I have never been into yoga, but I know many women, including one of my favorites, who are. Because I know it can be a healing, spiritual practice, I wanted to learn more about it and knew my sister would be a great resource. Kadie Chronister joins me to discuss the purpose and practices of yoga and mediation and how they can be spiritual, mental, and physical.

Kadie...

One year ago today I launched the first episodes of The Julie Bender Show (if you didn't start with About Me, go back!) and six years ago I began my labor of love, my video series #prayingforyourhusbanddaily.

To celebrate these milestones I give you this bonus episode with my favorite praying for your husband hack, the K.I.S.S. metaphor. You get the backstory of the series, ...

You are loved, lovable and loving.

This is the third affirmation I am focusing on this year, and I invite you to consider how the truth that you are loved and love well is a centering foundation from which to live (and love).

I share how I know you are loved by God, and why knowing this affects how you can and should love yourself and how that affects the way you love others.

I hope you find this as deeply encouraging as I did, lov...

I met Kate while in college but as our lives moved on, I watched her become active in global research on women's issues, even speaking at the White House, Pentagon, and in other influential spaces. I also observed her personal life; including a decade of marriage, subsequent divorce, a time of singleness and healing, and now remarriage. I had to p...

I have a friend that I have called in a variety of crisis situations and she always gives me balanced, calm, rational feedback, without just telling me I'm right (or wrong!) or judge me for my struggles...and that's why I call her the MVP. So in this episode (with Valentine's Day in the rear-view) I asked her questions I had while dating and now in marri...

Older women are meant to teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5). There’s vitality and energy when I spend time with women who are younger than me and I glean wisdom from those who have lived longer. This is why I enjoyed my conversation with Billie Jauss so much. She candidly shared life lessons from her 30+ year journey of faith, marriage, and motherhood and I was so...

This is the second affirmation I am focusing on this year, and I invite you to consider how the truth that you are seen affects every area of your life.

I share how I know you are seen by God, and why knowing this affects how you can and should see yourself and how you can proudly show your true self to others you deem trustworthy.

I offer several...

But they don’t. And raising healthy children is a challenge! In my eight-year journey to date, I’ve had questions I floated to friends,  obsessed over in my mind, seriously doubted my abilities, and now, I’m seeking professional help. I took your questions about helping your child through a separation/divorce, parenting them without a father,  navigating their fears, picking a “p...

As a 30-something woman, I seem to have been on a journey of self-discovery, healing and growth. And I don't want to stop!

I invited Dr. Zoe Shaw to return to the show to tell us what emotional intelligence is, how it differs from our emotional maturity, and how to develop as needed (and hopefully, desired)! She drops some truth and practical steps in...

I was drawn to Liz because of her spunk and humor. Then she went and chopped her hair into a bold mohawk and I had to know why. I couldn't have known how much her story would remind me of the power of pursuing truth when you know something is "off", embracing your life journey (even the hard parts) trusting that nothing is wasted by God.

My guest, Liz Valdez, shar...

I bring my son Lincoln to share our favorite things about Christmas, including the real reason we celebrate.
May you have the merriest Christmas and I'll be praying for a blessed New Year for you and yours!

Catch Lincoln with his dad on this previous episode of the Julie Bender Show.
You can also hear him on Coffee & Crystals, with my sister (his aunt) here.

Get ...